Chapter 13 — I Built an Empire in the Wasteland

Three days after discovering the recording, Camp Dawn went into emergency preparedness mode. Bạt Phong, Thanh Sơn and Tư Rỗ worked tirelessly to expand the sensor system and reinforce defense points, while Bích Vân led a small patrol group to expand the observation range farther than before. A tense atmosphere enveloped the small community, everyone felt that something big was hanging ahead.

But life must go on, and essential needs such as medicine and medical supplies cannot be ignored just because the threat is not clearly identified. Diễm Thư reported that the camp's stock of antibiotics was nearly exhausted, especially important hemostatic drugs if fighting broke out in the near future. She needed to get to a small trading post about three kilometers from the camp, where a group of traveling traders often stopped by every few days with rare medicines.

"Let me go with you," Yên Nhi suggested when she heard Diễm Thư discuss the plan with Bạt Phong. "I know a lot about the medicinal properties of drugs. I can help you choose the best one and avoid buying fake products."

Bạt Phong hesitated. "The situation right now is not safe for you to go outside the camp, especially since we still don't know exactly when Gray Wolf and that organization will act."

"But if you keep hiding in the camp, you'll never learn how to live without fear," Yên Nhi replied, her eyes determined. "Besides, that exchange point is in the opposite direction of the area where Bích Vân found the communication device. So there should be no danger." After a moment of consideration, Bạt Phong reluctantly agreed, but asked to send two more young men from the camp to escort Diễm Thư and Yên Nhi, and gave careful instructions about the route and return time. He stayed at the camp to supervise the unfinished defense reinforcement work, although he could not help but feel restless and worried.

The group of four people left camp in the morning. The weather that day was rare with a little bit of sunshine breaking through the thick layer of dust clouds. They followed familiar paths, avoiding dangerous ruined areas, chatting quietly to relieve tension. Yên Nhi felt more relieved to be able to go outside and breathe fresher air than inside the camp, even though the sky in Phế Thổ was never really fresh.

What no one in the group knew was that the "safe" route they chose, located in the opposite direction of the area where Bích Vân had discovered the communication device, was the direction in which the Black Eagle technical team and a small commando team had secretly ambushed since the night before, based on the intelligence information that Hạ Tử Kỳ provided after many days for people to monitor every move in and out of Camp Dawn.

As the group of four passed through a narrow passage between two rows of collapsed walls, where the terrain forced them to walk in single file, a small explosion rang out ahead — a smoke grenade was thrown, instantly blanketing the area in a thick blanket of smoke.

"Careful!" One of the two young escorts shouted, but it was too late. From the smoke screen, many figures appeared, moving quickly and clearly organized - not the usual chaotic bandit attack.

Diễm Thư received a strong blow to the back of her head, causing her to collapse. One young escort was knocked down with a precise kick to the knee joint. The other person tried to fight back but was quickly overwhelmed by three opponents with superior fighting skills. Yên Nhi tried to run but tripped on a rope across the road in a cloud of smoke and fell to the ground.

"Catch it! Don't hurt it!" A familiar voice rang out from within the smoke - Hạ Tử Kỳ's voice, commanding the Black Eagle commando team in coordination with several Gray Wolf juniors sent to lead the way.

Yên Nhi struggled desperately to fight back, but she was quickly controlled by two large men, and a cloth soaked in anesthetic was applied to her nose. She tried to scream Bạt Phong's name, but her scream was muffled by the large hand covering her mouth, and her consciousness quickly sank into darkness.

When the smoke cleared, Diễm Thư woke up in pain, her head dizzy from the blow to the back of her head. She looked around, saw the two young escorts lying groaning on the ground, injured but alive, and Yên Nhi had disappeared without a trace, leaving only a few small blood stains on the ground where she had fallen.

"Yên Nhi!" Diễm Thư screamed in panic, trying to get up even though her body still ached. She looked around again, confirming the horrifying truth: the girl the whole camp was trying to protect had been taken away right before her eyes.

She quickly helped the two injured young men up, and all three of them hobbled and ran as hard as they could back towards Camp Dawn, even though every step was a torture for their aching bodies. Time is the most precious thing right now, and Diễm Thư knows that every minute of delay can be a minute that brings Yên Nhi closer to a fate that none of them dare to imagine.

Bạt Phong was supervising the installation of an additional sensor outside the camp when he heard the sound of running footsteps from afar. He looked up, his heart seemed to stop beating when he saw Diễm Thư and two young men escorting him back in a pathetic condition, and there was no sign of Yên Nhi anywhere.

"What happened?" He rushed forward, his voice shaking as his worst premonition was slowly coming true.

"They ambushed us," Diễm Thư said, breathing heavily, tears rolling down her dusty face. "A lot of people, organized, not ordinary bandits. They took Yên Nhi away, Bạt Phong. I'm sorry, I couldn't protect her."

Bạt Phong stood dumbfounded for a moment, the whole world around him seemed to collapse. Fear, anger, and the feeling of blaming himself for letting Yên Nhi leave the camp rose up at the same time, choking in his chest to the point that it was difficult to breathe.

"Which direction are they going?" He asked, his voice sharp, pushing aside all the chaotic emotions to focus on the only thing that mattered right now.

"North, towards the rocky hills." One of the two young escorts replied, although his voice was still weak from pain. "They moved very quickly, it seemed they had prepared their vehicles," Bạt Phong turned around and shouted for Thanh Sơn who was nearby. "Gather everyone now! Prepare your weapons, I will go save Yên Nhi!"

"Let me go with you!" Thanh Sơn ran over, his face full of determination.

"No." Bạt Phong shook his head decisively and started running towards the shelter to get the power armor. "You stay behind and command the camp's defenses. If this is a trap to lure me out, they might attack the camp at the same time. I can't leave both places without defenders." Thanh Sơn gritted his teeth. Although he did not want to leave his friend alone to face danger, he clearly understood that Bạt Phong's argument was correct. "Okay. But be careful, you hear? This camp needs you back, and so does Yên Nhi." Bạt Phong nodded, without saying another word, rushing towards the shelter in the fading afternoon light, with only one thought in his heart motivating every step: to save Yên Nhi, at any cost.

He rushed down the spiral staircase leading to the shelter, his heart pounding, his breathing heavy not only because of the distance he ran but also because of the fear that was tearing at his heart. He opened the cabinet containing the powered armor, his hands shaking as he put each piece of armor on his body, the joints automatically closed with familiar "click" sounds, but this time it did not bring a feeling of peace of mind like the previous tests, only extreme urgency was urging him to act faster.

While waiting for the control panel on his wrist to complete booting, he remembered the image of Yên Nhi the night before, sitting next to him under the rare faint starlight, talking about wanting to be a part of the plan, not just the reason for the plan to exist. He remembered her smile as the whole camp gathered around the fire, remembered her trembling but steady voice as she talked about the painful memories that were slowly returning. He couldn't let all of that disappear just because he let his guard down for a minute.

He grabbed two extra energy guns, some ammunition, and the communication device he got from Bích Vân - maybe it could help him determine the communication frequency of the commando team that took Yên Nhi away. Before leaving the bunker, his eyes accidentally glanced at the digitally locked chest still lying silently under the main control panel, and in that moment, a new determination arose in him: no matter what the cost, he would bring Yên Nhi back, so that she could have the opportunity to open the door to the truth about her deceased father.

Returning to the ground, Bạt Phong stood still for a moment under the gray sky that was gradually turning black, taking a deep breath to calm his mind. Then he took a step, heading straight towards the rocky hills to the north, where the two young escorts had pointed out the direction the commandos retreated, the powered armor making each step he took longer and more decisive than usual, as if the determination in his heart was being amplified into real physical strength.